Heavy smoke pushes out from all sides of the house at 1142 Fernandez in Arlington Heights shortly after companies backed out. Larry Shapiro photo
A homeowner at 1142 S. Fernandez Avenue in Arlington Heights was reportedly refinishing the basement floor with a flammable solvent which somehow ignited. The fire department received calls reporting white smoke escaping from multiple areas of the home around 5PM on Wednesday. When police arrived and confirmed the reports, Arlington Heights Battalion 1 upgraded the response to a working fire before companies arrived on the scene. The homeowner fled the house then ran back inside before the fire department arrived. He then escaped with 1st degree burns to his face after taking in smoke as well. Responding at this point were two engines from Arlington Heights plus their tower, a squad, two ambulances, and several chief officers. A truck from Des Plaines, a Rolling Meadows engine, an engine from Elk Grove Township, a Rolling Meadows ambulance, and a Mount Prospect engine were the mutual aid companies.
Arlington Heights Engine 3 was the first engine on-scene. Four lines were working off this engine, both pre-connects and two skid loads. Larry Shapiro photo
Arlington Heights Engine 3 took a line into the house and encountered fire and high heat as they descended the basement stairs. A second line followed very quickly, and though companies made progress, the basement became untenable and they had to withdraw.
Arlington Heights Tower 1 was in front of the building and preparing to go up with firefighters to vent the roof. Larry Shapiro photo
Schaumburg firefighters went to the roof to ventilate. Larry Shapiro photo
Realizing that the fire was burning unchecked, the alarm was upgraded again to a MABAS Box Alarm. This added Prospect Heights Squad 9, Palatine Rural Engine 36, the third Arlington Heights engine, Elk Grove Village Engine 9, Elk Grove Township Ambulance 11, and Schaumburg Truck 52.
At one point in time there were six Pierce Quantum engines at the scene. Engine 3 was the still alarm engine with multiple lines off. Larry Shapiro photo
Another hose line is stretched to the front of the building. There would eventually be seven lines on the fireground. Larry Shapiro photo
Heavy smoke continues to vent from the house. Larry Shapiro photo
A total of seven lines were used throughout the three-hour battle to contain the fire. Smoke pushed out of all sides and firefighters put two cellar nozzles to work attempting to hit the basement fire. Roughly 20 minutes into the fire, command was informed that a portion of the first floor had burned through and all companies were ordered to remain outside in a defensive posture. One firefighter from Arlington Heights was taken to the hospital after being knocked onto his back while exiting the house early in the operation.
An Arlington Heights firefighter receives assistance after being pulled out of the house. Larry Shapiro photo
Heavy smoke envelopes the injured firefighter and the medics as they head toward the ambulance. Larry Shapiro photo
The basement was reportedly filled with water to the window level after several hours of flowing multiple lines through the window wells, the first floor, and a hole that was breached in the front of the house.
Working on the 'D' side of the house, a hose line is directed into the basement through a window well. Larry Shapiro photo
Smoke vents on the 'B' side of the house from the first floor. Larry Shapiro photo
A front corner wall was breached to allow a line to reach another section of the basement between the floor joists. Larry Shapiro photo
The fire was struck out near 8PM.
Larry Shapiro submitted several images and has a rather large gallery HERE.
